ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · patient · shower · charge · hand · stem · can · trunk

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. shower — rain
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. hand — in cards
  5. tear — to rip
  6. can — a tin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tear — from crying
  13. charge — electricity
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. shower — to wash
  16. charge — a price
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. tear — from crying
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — to come from
  21. can — to be able to
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. trunk — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com